Archdiocese of Washington

Religious Liberty

In 1634 when The Ark and The Dove arrived, carrying English settlers to what is now Saint Mary's County, those brave women and men established the first settlement to offer and guarantee religious liberty to all of the inhabitants. In effect, they constructed what would become known as the birthplace of religious freedom in America.

History teaches us that the right to religious liberty is fragile and must be vigilantly guarded if it is not to be lost. The U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops have released several documents outlining increasing threats to this cherished right and highlighting the urgent need for all people to take steps to defend religious liberty. In addition the Catholic Bishops of Maryland -- Washington Archbishop Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Baltimore Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, and Wilmington Bishop W. Francis Malooly -- released a statement in November 2011 on this important issue.

To learn more, please see the list of resources highlighting the importance of religious freedom and what you can do to help preserve it.